JaxKing

My wife and I have a 2016 Explorer, 2011 Tundra, and now my Road King (FLHR). I'm contemplating downsizing and selling my truck (over 110,00 miles on it). We are both retired and really don't have a need for both the Explorer and Tundra. We live in an apt and probably won't move or need to haul anything and if we do, I can rent or borrow a truck. Where I live generally does not have a bad winter at all - last year we had snow for a couple of days and it quickly melted. I'm thinking that if we need to go different directions, I can ride my bike and leave her the Explorer. If the weather turns bad and since I'm retired, I can reschedule whatever it is.

Also, if I do this, possibly upgrading my bike to a Glide with full tour package, fairing, heated grips, etc...

Registered

For many years my wife and I had one cage and one bike. She didn't work so I was more than happy to ride to work and leave her the cage. On bad weather days I would cage it and if she had something she had to do she would just reschedule. But we did live in Southern California so bad weather days were few. Now that I am retired we have 1 car, 1 pickup and 1 bike. Yeah, not sure I get it either.

weird member

I live in the South, so I can ride all year, and I am also "involuntarily retired", but since I'm only 32, that means being a house husband. My wife works.

Most of the time, I don't need a car for any errands I would have to run. But we definitely need two vehicles. Her car and my bike is fine. I also have her old car and it's on its last legs, and before my bike was down (for upgrades), I practically never used the old car. It's not worth selling though, it has over 300,000 miles, A/C doesn't work anymore, etc. Once it dies, it's going in the junk yard.

I'd say, sell the truck. And if you needed a third vehicle just in case the bike was down for some reason, could always get a second bike (would be a lot less expensive to maintain tag and insurance compared to a car).

Besides, if you hardly ever use the truck anyway, no point in paying for the insurance and tags just to have it sitting around "just in case", since you could easily borrow or rent a truck.

Kyle
• 1997 Softail Custom (FXSTC) [the red one]
• 1997 Softail Custom (FXSTC) [RIP 6 Nov, 2018]
“You've got to play the hand that you're dealt, and sometimes life deals you a losing hand, well then you're a loser, and you have to deal with it.”

JaxKing

Not sure how you or she stand that car in the summer with no AC. I was stationed in New Orleans for 5 years and Mobile for 3 years plus growing up in west Texas and now Lubbock. Maybe I'm just spoiled, but I sure wouldn't want to go thru the summer heat without an air conditioner. We hit 109 here this summer.

If I do decide to sell the truck (which I'm leaning toward), I want to upgrade my bike to make it more "all weather" with full fairing, heated grips, etc... You're definitely right about saving money too.

Today was the first day I'd driven my truck in a couple of weeks. Took it Sams, grocery store, and car wash just to keep the tires round.

Road Junkie

As for upgrading your bike, I would go through one year with what you've got before making the switch, especially if it's mainly day travel. If you're planning to start doing multi-day trips, the fairing and tourpak will definitely make the trip more comfortable.

weird member

Not sure how you or she stand that car in the summer with no AC. I was stationed in New Orleans for 5 years and Mobile for 3 years plus growing up in west Texas and now Lubbock. Maybe I'm just spoiled, but I sure wouldn't want to go thru the summer heat without an air conditioner. We hit 109 here this summer.

If I do decide to sell the truck (which I'm leaning toward), I want to upgrade my bike to make it more "all weather" with full fairing, heated grips, etc... You're definitely right about saving money too.

Today was the first day I'd driven my truck in a couple of weeks. Took it Sams, grocery store, and car wash just to keep the tires round.

Yeah, it's miserable, much cooler on the bike actually and in a car with no A/C.

It's funny, two weekends ago or something, I was in the New Mexico desert and it was much more bearable than here. Temperature was 5-10° cooler during the day in what is basically the desert than it is here, practically no humidity so 90° was just 90°, and the nights were about 10-20° cooler than here. I see desert people talk about "it was 105° today, too hot". Yeah? It was 105° here too, but with the humidity, the heat index was 118°.

I'd take that desert weather over this jungle weather any day. Plus, out there, going in the shade actually was cooler, and when you sweat, it evaporated so it actually did it's job to cool you off. Here, sweat doesn't evaporate, it just gives you swamp ass.

Kyle
• 1997 Softail Custom (FXSTC) [the red one]
• 1997 Softail Custom (FXSTC) [RIP 6 Nov, 2018]
“You've got to play the hand that you're dealt, and sometimes life deals you a losing hand, well then you're a loser, and you have to deal with it.”

Registered

Since I retired 10 yrs. ago, I've put about 5,000 miles on my truck. Mostly to Home Depot and back.
We use the wife's SUV for everything else. Being a homeowner, I feel i need the truck. If I lived in an apartment, it would go. Also on the apartment thing, I would have serious reservations about getting a new(er) nice bike if I didn't have secure parking for it. Gosh, it must be nice to not have home repairs, maint. and yard work to do. :laughing

JaxKing

I do have a garage here - of course it's a little bit extra. Initially it was for extra "stuff", but I cleaned some "stuff" out and made room for my bike. As far as security, we are in a gated complex. Gates are open during the day, but between 7pm and 7am, you need a code to get in. You're right, no maintenance or yard work or worrying about something breaking is GREAT!

2004 Ultra Classic

Yeah, it's miserable, much cooler on the bike actually and in a car with no A/C.

It's funny, two weekends ago or something, I was in the New Mexico desert and it was much more bearable than here. Temperature was 5-10° cooler during the day in what is basically the desert than it is here, practically no humidity so 90° was just 90°, and the nights were about 10-20° cooler than here. I see desert people talk about "it was 105° today, too hot". Yeah? It was 105° here too, but with the humidity, the heat index was 118°.

I'd take that desert weather over this jungle weather any day. Plus, out there, going in the shade actually was cooler, and when you sweat, it evaporated so it actually did it's job to cool you off. Here, sweat doesn't evaporate, it just gives you swamp ass.

Yep a cage with no AC is tough I know I have lived and worked outside in the Vegas Valley for 38 years. But I tell you I had to insulate attics at an apartment complex in Memphis TN. It was 99 degrees and 99% humidity. Absolutely the most miserable heat I ever endured. Also I was a mason tender for 5 years in MI. and the summers were hot enough there. I still to this day do not understand why when it is humid the mortar would harden faster?

Our last thread for this discussion started 05-19-2011 and reached 27,185 posts over that 7 year period of time.
https://www.harley-davidsonforums.com/forums/general-motorcycle-related/30327-what-did-you-do-your-bike-today.html
This will be the continuation of that thread.
- Cricket

Got a guy that was heading to his little brothers funeral up in Illinois but was having a lot of trouble with his bike and left it at Wawa off of Route one in Stafford. Looking for somebody that might be able to pick up the bike and store it for a little while for him till he can get things...

I do most of my riding in North Idaho and western Montana. I've been riding for 50 years and over the last five years I have been averaging about 18,000 miles a year. I am just a retired old guy who wants to share my experience with other riders.
This part of the country is loaded with wild...